Railway-switch.



J. D. PERKINS. RAILWAY SWITCH. APPLIUATION FILED MAY 22, 1911.

Patented Jan. 9, 1912.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Attorneys v Patented Jan.9, 1912 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

I Inventor Witnesses J. D. PERKINS. RAILWAY SWITCH.

' APPLIOATIONIILBD MAY 22, 1911. 1,014,092.

- 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Patented Ja11.9,1912.

UNTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES D. PERKINS, 0F ATLANTA, GEORGIA, ASSIGN'OR TO THOMAS C. BIGGS ANDBOSCOE F. BISHOP.

RAILWAY-SWITCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 22, 1911.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, James D. PERKINS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Atlanta, in the county of Fulton and State of Georgia, haveinvented a new and useful Railway-Switch, of which the following 1s aspecification.

This invention relates to railway switches, its object being to providea switch whereby the main line of a railroad can be maintainedcontinuous or unbroken so that, when the switch is closed, cars can passalong the main line without pounding as ordinarily when passing over thebreaks 1n the rails and which are ordinarily found at switches.

A further object is to provide a switch the movable members of which aredesigned to bridge over the rails of the main line when the switch isopen, it being thus possible to use not only the ordinary single flangedwheels upon the tracks but also to use wheels having double flanges.

A further object is to provide a movable switch member having meanswhereby it is elevated while moving into position across one of therails of the main line and is subsequently lowered so as to engage saidrails and to be thus locked against accidental displacement while a caris passing over the switch member.

A further object is to provide a switch which can be connected to themain line without the necessity of removing any of the rails of the mainline.

WVith the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention resides in the combination andarrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafterdescribed and claimed, it being understood that changes in the preciseembodiment of the invention herein disclosed can be made within thescope of what is claimed without departing from thespirit of theinvention. In the accompanying drawings the pre ferred form of theinvent-ion has been shown.

In said drawings :Figure 1 is a plan view of a switch embodying thepresent improvements, the main line being shown open. Fig. 2 is a sideelevation of the parts shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a section on line BFig. 1. Fig. 41 is a section on line CD Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a perspectiveview of one of the switch tongues and showing one side thereof. Fig. 6is a similar view showing the other side of said tongue. Fig. 7 is abottom plan view of said tongue. Fig. 8 is a perspective view of thestationary cam used in connection with said tongue. Fig. 9 is a detailview of the shifting member cooperating with said cam. Fig. 10 is aperspective view of the other tongue of the switch and showing one sidethereof, the brackets being removed therefrom. Fig. 11 is a similar viewshowing the other side of said tongue, the brackets being removedtherefrom. Fig. 12 is a side elevation of said tongue, the bracketsbeing removed therefrom.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference 1 and 2 designatethe main line rails and 3 and 4 designate the siding rails, there beinga siding rail section 5 interposed between the main line rails 1 and 2and alinmg with the rail 3 but spaced at its ends from the two rails land 2. Rail 3 has a block 6 interposed between itand the main line rail2, said block being arranged with 1ts upper face a considerable distancebelow the tread of rail 3, but only a slight distance below the tread ofthe rail 2', it being understood that the rails 3 and 4 are elevatedabove the rail 2 a distance slightly greater than the height of thewheel flanges. The rail section 5 is similarly elevated, these rails 3and 4 and the section 5 being supplorted above the ties 7 by blocks 8 orthe A block 9 is secured on one of the ties and between the rails 1 and2 at a point removed from that end of rail section 5 nearest the rail 2and this block has a shoulder 10 normally supporting the free end of astraight switch tongue 11, the other end of this tongue being pivotallyconnected to one end of the rail section 5 as indicated at 12. Asindicated in detail in Figs. 5, 6 and 7, this tongue is provided, for aportion of its length, with a web 13 having base flanges 14:, said weband flanges extending from the pivoted end of the tongue and terminatingin a thickened portion 15 located adjacent the center of the tongue. Thehead 16 of the tongue is extended beyond this thickened portion and thelower face thereof is cut away to form a diagonally disposed shallowchannel 17. The length of the tongue 11 is equal to the distance betweenrail 3 and rail section 5 and the channel 17 is so proportioned thatwhen the tongue 11 is shifted into alinement with rail 3, the treadportion of rail 2 will project into the channel and thus hold the tongueagainst swinging movement unless lifted out of engagement with the rail2. An arcuate cam plate 18 is extended under the tongue 11 at a pointbetween the ends thereof and is provided with an arcuate slot 19parallel with the upper edge of the plate 18. This slot receives a stud2O projecting laterally from a bracket 21 secured to the thickenedportion 15 of the tongue, there being a rod 22 pivotally connected tothe bracket 21 and to one arm of a bell crank lever 23 arranged adjacentthe rail 1. This lever and the rod 22 are disposed below the plane ofthe bases of rails 1 and 2 but that end portion of rod 22 adjacenttongue 11 is bent upwardly so as to properly engage the bracket 21. Aguard rail 24 is arranged along rail 4 cpposite the tongue 11 andcorresponds with the ordinary rails employed at switches. Rail 4terminates at a point slightly removed from the rail 2 and with itstread elevated above the tread of rail 2. A tongue is hingedlyconnect-ed to this rail 4, this tongue being indicated at 25 and beingprovided with a slightly curved free end. This tongue has a head 26extending throughout the length thereof but beveled at its free end downto an edge 27. A web 28 extends throughout the length of the head 26 andalong the free end portion of the tongue 25 this web is flush with oneside of the head, as clearly indicated in Fig. 11. The tongue 25 alsohas the usual base flanges 29 but these do not extend throughout thelength of the tongue. The tongue is so proportioned that, when it isswung toward the rail 2, the head 26 thereof will move onto the tread ofrail 2 and fit snugly thereon. As the free end of the head 26 is verythin and as said head gradually curves away from rail 2 it will beapparent that a car wheel, when traveling toward the switch willgradually ride onto the head 26 and thence along said head to the rail4, the head 26 serving to gradually elevate the wheel so as to cause itsflange to travel over rail 2 without contacting with it. This tongue hasbrackets 30 and 31 extending laterally therefrom, bracket 31 beingsecured to a cross bar 32 which, in turn, is secured to a bracket 33extending laterally from a tongue 34. This tongue is similar in allrespects to the tongue 25 but is interposed between'the two rails 1 and2 and is pivotally connected to rail section 5, the free end of thetongue being adapted to move into position on top of the rail 1. Theconnecting bar 32 insures the simultaneous movement of the two tongues25 and 34 so that both of them will assume positions upon the rails 1and 2 respectively or at one side of said rails, as desired. Bracket 30is connected to another bar 35 extending under the rails ver 23. A link38 extends from bracket 30 I to a crank 39 on a shaft 40 arranged adjacent the track, there being a weighted arm 41 whereby said shaft can berotated so as to move the tongues 25 and 34 onto or away from the rails2 and 1 respectively.

It is to be understood that under normal conditions, to wit, when themain line is open, the tongues 34 and 25 extend along the sides of butare spaced from the rails 1 and 2 while tongue 11 is similarly spacedfrom the rail 2. Should it be desired to shift the switch so as to closethe main line and open the siding, shaft 40 is rotated by means of theweighted arm 41, thus causing the two tongues 25 and 34 to shift inunison so as to bring their curved free end portions upon the tops ofthe rails 2 and 1. At the same time, motion is transmitted from thelever 36 through rod 37 to lever 23 and tongue 11 is shifted along thecam plate 18 so as to lift over the rail 2 and to then move downwardlyonto block 6, the upper or tread surface of the rail 2 becoming seatedwithin the channel 17 in the bottom of the tongue 11. It will thus beapparent that when a train approaches the switch it will ride upwardlyon the beveled ends of tongues 25 and 34 until the flanges of the wheelsare raised above the treads of the rails 1 and 2 whereupon said wheelswill travel along the tongues and over the rails 1 and 2 and thence ontothe rail 4 and the rail section 5. They will then travel over the tongue11 to the rail 3. To close the switch the movement of the parts isreversed, the cam plate 18 serving to lift the tongue 11 out ofengagement with the rail 2 and to then guide it back onto the block 9.At the same time the tongues 25 and 34 are shifted laterally away fromthe rails 2 and 1 respectively. A guide or guard rail 42 is arrangedalong rail 2 close to the tongue 25 and is similar to the guard railsordinarily employed in connection with railway switches.

By constructing a switch in the manner set forth it will be apparentthat the main line rails can be extended continuously and there istherefore no danger of the cars leaving the track at switches. Poundingof the rails at these points is also eliminated.

Another advantage resides in the fact that the switch constituting thepresent invention can be applied without the necessity of removing anyof the rails of themain line.

What is claimed is 1. A railway switch including a continuous main linerail, a siding rail section spaced therefrom and extending beyond oneside thereof, a siding rail spaced from the main line rail and extendingfrom the other side thereof, a switch tongue pivotally mounted at oneend, and normally extended parallel with the main line rail, a block forsupporting the other end of the tongue when in its normal position, aplate extending transversely under the tongue and having an arcuateslot, the upper edge of the plate be ing parallel with the longitudinalwalls of the slot, a bracket secured to the tongue, a stud outstandingtherefrom and mounted to slide within the slot, and means for shiftingthe bracket, said plate constituting means for elevating the free end ofthe tongue over the main line rail and lowering it onto the adjoiningsiding rail, the stud and the walls of the slot cooperating to limit theupward movement of the tongue.

2. A railway switch including a main line rail, a siding rail section atone side thereof and spaced therefrom, a siding rail extending from theother side of the main line rail, a switch tongue pivotally connected tothe siding rail sections and normally parallel with the main line rail,said tongue having a transverse recess in its lower face, a plateextending transversely under the tongue and having an arcuate slot, theupper edge of the plate being parallel with the walls of the slot, astud fixedly connected to and movable with the tongue and adapted totravel within the slot, said stud cooperating with the walls of the slotto limit the upward movement of the tongue, and means for shifting thetongue about its pivot, said plate operating to elevate the tongue overthe main line rail and to permit it to lower onto the siding rails andwith the main line rail seated within the recess in the bottom of thetongue.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JAMES D. PERKINS.

Witnesses:

R. J. JORDAN, H. B. COBB.

Copies of this patent may he obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

. Washington, D. 0.

